John b



JOHN Bl VALLIQIIETTE. or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Leners 124mm. 76,560, dated April I, 18.68.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRIDGES.-

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To ALL WHoIvI IT MAY CONCERN;

Be 'it known that I, JOHN B. VALTJIQUETTE, of Chicago, in' the county of Cook, in the State of Illinois, have 'invented an Improved Gate for Swing-Bridges; and Ido hereby declare `that the following is a. full 'and exact description thereof, referenc'eibeinghad tol theaccompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, making apart ofthis specification, in .which- Figure 1 is u plan view of my invention, with thebridge partially turned. Figure 2, an elevation ofthe `gate in position for use'. Figure 3, a plan view of the same.

- The nature of my inventiouconsists in' the'- use of a gate, attached to a truck, made to run transversely with. and below the roadbed, of sucha width'as will place the wheels suoli a'disthnce from the slot in 'which'the gate runs as will prevent' from being obstructed with iceandY dirt; and in the arrangement of verticalrollers attached to4 the Aends ofthe gatesfanda. projection at both ends of the bridge, for opening lthem when the` bridge' is being shut; and further, in the use ofvruhber bumpcrs, fi'tted inthe ends ofthe'slots in which the gates run,"

to prevent them, when closed bytheir respective weights, from striking so hard against the framework u s to cause injury.

in `order to give'a'correctunde'rstanding of my invention, I have marked corresponding parts with/similar letters, and will now givea detailed description. Y l

4A. represents a com mon Vswing-bridge, and B theroadways lead-Ing to and from it. P P R represent a common trestle-Work at the ends of the-bridge,'and ispmade double its width, in order thatgates G G may open clearofth'e roadways B B, the timbers' R Rjbeing bolted fast-to `the'piles'l?, forfthe purpose of supporting a track, K, madeof iron, and used for the truck J to run on. The piles are made to project above the track K, and to the roadways B B, at which pointv they are covered with plank,-or pavement, as the case may require, except the slots H H,'made.for the .gates to slide in, butnot large enough to interfere with travel, the sides being protected from wear byvme'ans of nuetalstrips, fastened in any'desirable manner.'

J; figs. 2'and-3, represents one ofthe trucks, which is arranged to run on the track J, and support 'a gate, G, projecting far enough above the roadway B to iprevent tea'ui'sandV foot-passengers yfrom passing when itiis shut. It will be seen at iig. 3 that the truck 'Jvis' made toirun on a wide track;- this isvfor the purpose of pro-- tecting the wheels a from-.ice and dirt,'whic h mustnecessarily fall through the slots H, and would,'if allowed to fall on the track, impede the operating of the gate. The truck is Inadeof iron, and as light as will support a gate of metal, and has `arope, L, .attached toit, and passing over a' pulley, N, and connecting with a weight, M, for drawing the gate together when the bridge is being opened.V Friction-rollers,f, are 'to operate on the edges of the gates, against which projections e e on the railing D ofthe bridge are made to strike when Vbeingturned. X X represent blocks' of rubber fitted in the ends of slots. H, forv the: purpose of breakingthe concussion of the gates whenbeing closed by the weights'M.v

l. Operation.

Fig. 1 represents the gates partly open, as when the bridge iss'wung for foot-passengers only. The gates will, however, open the'entire width of the. roadway as the bridge is swung further around, but will close as soon as the projections e pass the railings Lb'etween the' roadways B B and, platforms C C, fig. 1. Gare must always be taken to swing the bridge in the direction indicated by dart W. I

Having thus fully described my invention, what vI claim, and desire tolsecure by Letters Patent, is-I- i The gates G G, arranged to run in slots H H, in combination with the trucks J, projections ee, andrubber blocks X X, substantially-as and forithelpurpose set forth. i

` t J, B. VALLIQU'ETTE.

- Witnesses:

G. L. CHAPIN, A. L. DE GIGNAB. 

